The Dark of the Night
by zeldris
Summary: ...Bad things happen in the dark. Batman AU.
1. prologue

**OK~ I have been working on this for a while, and I'm super pumped that I finished it, but I have to say it's a tad unoriginal.**

**For this is a _Batman AU _**

**(because who the fuck doesn't like Batman)**

**and the main pairing is Gruvia but eventually I _Will include the following ships:_**

**_Nalu _**

**_Gajevy_**

**_Jerza_**

**_Miraxus_**

**_(minor ships are Bixanna, Kinabra, Stinerva, Rouge (not really sure who to pair this guy with…) etc…basic ships._**

**_Summary: Gray is a wealthy heir who has a dark secret-by night, he becomes Batman, defender of Gotham. But an underground crime society is always two steps ahead of him, and they're planning something big. Juvia is a struggling waitress who makes the decision to become a criminal, and she is unknowingly recruited by quite possibly the worlds most dangerous crime society. Unfortunately for her, she gets in too deep, and perhaps there's only one man who can help her out._**

**Onward!**

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Gray Fullbuster had many secrets.

One of which that may concern you, is the fact that by day, he was a wealthy businessman who owned and managed his own company.

But by night, he became a _very _different person.

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"Mr. Fullbuster!"

_Damn._

Gray turned around to the sound of his name being called, foot tapping to emphasize his hatred of being called upon.

"Mr. Fullbuster, I hate to bother you but I just wanted to make sure that you remembered your promise, to the orphanage, of course." The young assistant reminded, for the fourth time. She was new to Fullbuster Enterprises, but Gray held no ill will towards her.

"Of course. A promise is a promise." He droned back to her, causing her to split into a relieved grin.

"Good. Great. I've organized your wardrobe, speech, and-"

"Thank you." Gray cut her off mid-sentence, his gaze flickering back and forth. "For all of your help, but I really, _really _must be off so if you'll excuse me,"

She looked stunned, and a bit hurt. Gray felt like he may have come off a bit too condescending, but he really didn't have time to worry about that now.

He skirted around her with precise agility, and one would probably estimate he'd done this many a time before. Avoiding things was one of Gray's profuse talents, including making important decisions in a short amount of time, dealing with annoying attorneys, and fighting off dangerous criminals from the city of Gotham.

He was one busy man.

Gray slipped inside the library, closing the door firmly to reassure that no eyes would see what he was about to do.

Against the corner of the west wing, was a sturdy grand piano, aged from years of neglect but it still held a sort of nostalgic majesty, which is why most employees figured it had stayed.

The truth was, if it didn't hold such a vital purpose Gray would've rid himself of it years ago.

He sidled up to it, dragging his calloused fingers across the smooth surface of the piano. It simply reverberated memories, childlike laughter as a father would strike up a tune, the smell of warm Christmas cookies and the sound of exuberant Christmas carols being sung across the room.

The piano keys were a faded dull cream color, the kind of color you get when years of dust settle upon stark white, wearing the color and disfiguring it.

Gray pressed a single key, a _ping _sound echoing throughout the empty library.

_Ping._

The second key was a much lower note, and Gray continued to move down the piano.

_Ping._

The final key rang out longer than the rest, and for a specific reason.

Slowly, a bookcase shifted to the side, revealing the hidden passageway it contained behind it.

Gray Fullbuster had many secrets, and being Batman was one of them.

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Juvia Lockser had many secrets.

Juvia's mother died delivering her sister, and Juvia's father was killed in a tragic maintenance accident.

By day, Juvia was a substitute mother and a low-class citizen, scraping by on the earns of her waitressing job at a popular restaurant.

But by night, Juvia became a _very _different person, because times were changing, and so was her very way of life.

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"Juvia! My lunch!" Levy wailed, pulling heavy objects off of counters in a frantic scrounge to get ready for another hectic school day.

"I got it, I got it!" Juvia rushed in with a wilting brown paper bag in her white-knuckled hand, thrusting it in Levy's face as she too got ready for a chaotic day at work.

"Thanks. Do you have everything?" Levy, Juvia's young sister of sixteen years, inquired as she pressed the lunch bag into her stuffed backpack.

"Yes, yes. Now hurry up, I don't want you to be late!" Juvia ushered Levy out the door in a frantic shaking of her hands, to which Levy happily complied.

"Bye Juvia! See you tomorrow!" Levy bid as she hurried out the door to her bus stop.

That's right, with Juvia's pressing work hours and nighttime _'projects',_ Levy only got to see her sister on certain days and mornings.

Today, was not one of those days.

The second she stepped into her place of work she was swamped with requests and orders. She knew it was condescending to say that her life sucked when there were so many other people out there who had it far worse than her, but her manager, Jose Porla, was Satan.

"Juvia, what do you think you're doing?" He barked as Juvia slipped into the kitchen to pass over an order.

"I'm just giving Mira an order," she explained truthfully.

Mira was the best chef in all of Gotham, which was almost strange because the restaurant was good, but the pay was awful. Mira could be anywhere, an amazing caterer or working at one of those high class gala restaurants, but she stayed here.

But only Mira's closest of friends knew that Jose had some dirt on her and a wealthy business man, Laxus Dreyar, that kept her in the depths of hell, cooking crème brulee until the day she died.

"Alright. I need you here on Friday." He barked gruffly, shooting Mira a glare and Juvia a pointed look.

"I can't, I have to watch my sister," Juvia countered, Jose being very well aware of her situation.

"Well, I suggest you show up unless you want that sister of yours to have to scrub toilets for a living." Jose threatened sharply.

Juvia flinched visibly, but backed down from Jose's furious smirk.

"That's what I thought."

Juvia went back to giving her orders to Mira, a hard look frozen in the depths of her winter blue eyes.

Mira understood, for she too had that same frozen look in the pits of her blue eyes, a sad lonely icicle that had been embedded there by Jose himself, as if smacking a giant stamp on both their foreheads that said _property of Jose Porla._

And who knows, maybe it was the freezing cold sensation of that icicle that had finally pushed Juvia over the edge, tumbling down the abyss that she knew all too well exactly what would happen if she got caught in the rocks.

Because five nights ago, Juvia had put her skills to the test.

It started out simple, of course. Someone with heavy pockets and a name brand plastered across the side of their jaded purse had walked by. The only thing Juvia noticed about them was their smile, the dark smile that had read to other successful people, the _I-know-something-you-don't _smile that was a silent cobra hidden behind the brush; you'd never know it to be a snake until you got too close.

But it had only took a flick of a wrist, a quick fluid motion like the waves of the ocean, drawing back the contents of the purse victoriously, a tidal wave of treasures that would probably go completely unnoticed by the wealthy dowager who simply walked past with her cobra smile and her venomous eyes.

It kept getting worse though, to the point where Juvia simply couldn't _stand _them, those lucky rattlesnakes with enough to push them through life and beyond, Juvia couldn't believe how _blind _they all were, completely _blind._

Can you believe she had stolen it from a thrift shop? The smooth leathery black material felt like the skin of a _snake _underneath the pads of her fingers and she _knew_.

She knew why fate had drawn her to that thrift shop, and she knew how to make those filthy pythons pay for their crimes against the less fortunate.

That night, she robbed someone's home.

It wasn't even a home, not really.

A man had lived there, riches flowing out of his cabinets and drawers. He was with another woman, so Juvia could tell from the conversation she heard in the bedroom.

They couldn't hear her though, not one sound.

With the agility of a _cat _she took everything that she deserved, every last bill roughly folded into boxes and bins strewn across counter tops and drawers, and she was in and out within three and a half minutes.

She doesn't even feel guilty, not one bit.

Because even snakes can be hunted by felines.

And no snake would be safe from her, not over her dead body.

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.

.

"Sir, _please _I insist you stay in tonight."

"Not tonight Makarov. Didn't you hear over the radio? Couple o' lousy thieves are down there, I can't let anything happen." Determination laced in his voice, Gray ran a hand over his dark black mask, protecting the city from the person underneath.

"It's Gotham, _of course _there's thieves down there! We've practically got them crawling out of the gutters!" Makarov sighed exasperatedly. Although, in Gray's defense, after nearly six months of the same battle every night, he should know by now there was no turning back on Gray's part.

"_Exactly _now I'm going to perform a full patrol-"

Makarov couldn't help but tune out Gray's usual spiel before going out 'night watching'. He's heard it a hundred times before, but it was his job to worry, he was Gray's guardian, ever since his parents passed so tragically…

"-and that should be all. See you in the morning." Gray said with a small salute, and with a flash of shadow and speed he infuses with the night.

Honestly, he has no idea how that boy does it. Up all night and working all day, only Makarov doesn't turn a blind eye to the little catnaps he'll take in the middle of business meetings.

"At least he's not taking that bloody car out this time." Makarov grumbled before heading to the city scanners, where he could safely watch the night's activities unravel.

Goody. Nothing like watching the boy you raised like a son beat the shit out of criminals.

Then again, he supposed there could be worse things. Gray could be a…well he could…

Ah, balderdash. There wasn't much worse than being a secret vigilante by night, was there?

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The night was alive, and the streetlight cast a thin shadow adjacent to Juvia's feet, following her every move like an intricate puppet made out of pure darkness.

She tip toed across the edge of the apartment building, each step more silent then the last.

Her destination: Unknown. Any place that had a painted sports car in front of it, she supposed.

And it didn't take long to find, oh no, there were far too many corrupted capitalists in Gotham city.

The house was grand; stretching farther than Juvia could comprehend. Only one light was flicked on, a loner, probably male, was presumably clicking along on his expensive computer program, checking the stocks of his deep-pocketed company.

Juvia couldn't help but snicker, that overfed boa constrictor would soon be nothing but a squeaking mouse, caught dead in her trap.

The windows were sealed, but they were far enough away from the room he is in so that when Juvia popped it off using a crowbar, he heard nothing, silly snake.

Juvia slid in, her lithe flexibility playing as an important factor in the grand scheme of things.

The house was…empty. Not _empty _of course, but it's as clear as a self portrait that this man lived alone, and had for a while now.

But Juvia could see everything.

Each box, each gem, each crook in the wall, because no matter how fat those snakes get, they still conceal their earnings from the world, afraid that it will snatch it right back.

Well, this was the snake's greatest fear; the world coming back for bittersweet revenge.

Juvia ran her gloved hand against the wall, each bump telling her a tale of the hidden fortunes inside, and with each prying creak, the valuables were graced with a new caretaker, instead of a lying deceitful snake, it was now a quick and graceful cat, who knew exactly what to say, and when to do it.

Four minutes; this time.

She is out, she is even kind enough to shove the glass window right back into place, nothing ever even happened.

And the snake is still left with _something, _a lot, actually, Juvia was generous with what she would leave, enough to get them through the rest of their life.

And enough to give _her _life the proper boost it so desperately needed.

And if not her, then her sister. It wasn't for Juvia, not one single dollar would be spent on her, she had promised herself that.

She was an evil, conniving cat, and she would be _damned _before she used those stolen goods for her own benefit.

But those treasures would go directly to the kind, deserving Levy.

Levy had done nothing evil in her life, she deserved the opposite of what life had given her.

And Juvia would make sure of that.

She hid them in her t-shirt drawer, behind the old shirt she had gotten from Mira as a hand-me-down, and they would never be dug up until Levy needs them.

Just for Levy. Only for Levy.

It's what keeps Juvia sane, she would have no anchor to life without Levy, no reason to keep going on, to keep a hold of her terrible job at Jose's.

She would usually go off to bed, right after. She had work early in the morning, after all.

But regret is for the morning after, and something was undeniably tugging at the back of her mind, telling her to go out, to venture into the depths of the dark city and see what the underbelly of this horrendous city looked like up close.

And I think you've all heard the saying curiosity killed the cat.

Juvia crawled through the city, slinking past each landmark that warned her just how deep she was going, just how much danger she was getting herself into. She couldn't stop, each streetlight beckoning her deeper and deeper into the outskirts of Gotham.

She knew she was in too far when she heard the yelling.

"Come on! Leave us alone, man!"

She heard a few grunts and slamming noises, like the sound of heavy sandbags being slammed against rock solid concrete.

"It was only a couple hundred, no big deal, just please! Let us go, you can take the cash!"

More thumping, which Juvia now knew to be the unmistakable sound of someone getting their ass kicked.

"I don't care, tell me who your employer is!" A rough raspy voice demanded after a few extra thumps.

Juvia slid up against the wall, the leather of her cat suit tightening as she stretched her neck to see what was happening.

Three dark shrouded shapes were positioned at the front of a dirty looking garage, one of whom was up on their feet with a towering hold over the other two figures.

"Don't make me ask again," the voice, who Juvia identified to be the man who was on his feet, said angrily. His voice was so menacing, yet at the same time so confident and strong, the sound itself caused Juvia to shudder.

"We can't tell you, they'll kill us!" One of the cowering men cried out, practically begging for mercy at the taller man's feet.

"Well if you don't tell me, I can't help you." The powerful voice hissed, his cocksure attitude melding with his strengthening stance. Just looking at him might cause someone to bow down involuntarily.

"Look…you're obviously a tough guy," the man who Juvia hadn't heard speak yet uttered, breathing heavily as his lungs adjusted from the beating he just took.

"Yeah, but…you're not tough enough…not for this…" The other man finished, mirroring his partners breathing habits.

The stronger man breathed out, frustrated. It was like he knew, he knew that this was too much for him to handle but he _had _to.

And for a second, Juvia had understood him. She understood that he needed to take this risk, for whatever reason he may have had, because Juvia herself had just taken that risk, for god's sake she had just _robbed someone._

But she was purely entranced by the powerful voice, struggling to balance compassion and mercy.

"_I'll _be the judge of what I can and can't handle. Now I suggest you talk or you'll have the cops to deal with." The voice said firmly. The two men on the ground paused for a second, like they were waiting for the stronger man to burst out laughing and say _'just kidding!', _but the moment never came.

"You…you're serious?" One man sputtered, clearly befuddled that someone as powerful and strong as this would rely on such inferior forces for leverage.

"Dead serious." He answered coolly. Juvia admired him, she admired the way he could stand his ground and still be so _strong._

"I would _love _to go to the cops. Rather them than…" The criminal trailed off and Juvia could almost hear the hero's frown.

"…Alright."

_Alright?!_

The thieves seem just as surprised as Juvia, their mouths probably agape and catching flies.

"Just as long as you _swear _never to get involved with them, or anyone like them. Got it?" The man justified, keeping his intimidated stance at a lock down.

"I…you…"

Baffled, the crooks watched as the winner of their impromptu fight pulled out a phone and called the cops.

Juvia had to admit, all that build up had certainly made it seem that there would be a more exciting climax, but the man simply held up his phone to the side of his face impatiently.

"Wait…you're seriously just calling the cops?" One of the criminals voiced Juvia's thoughts, confused and probably a little bit let down.

"Yes, now shut up." The man said, tapping his foot and letting out a sigh of restlessness.

It was about then that Juvia had realized how young the said vigilante was, he stood at about six foot five, and was obviously muscled, without which he probably wouldn't have been able to produce the feat that he had, but his voice did hold an edge of excitement in it, like an eight year old on his birthday.

It was almost…endearing.

Juvia shook her head vigorously. _No, _she thought, this was no time to find crazy crime fighters attractive.

"Uh…yes. I'd like two report two unconscious men on the corner of West and Marken." He said tersely before forcefully pressing the end button and discarding his phone into a phantom pocket.

One of the criminals made the mistake of questioning him.

"Unconscious?" _Thump!_

Silence.

Juvia sucked in a breath as the night grew heavy. Afraid to look back, she snuck up the fire escape of the building she had been cowering behind, desperate to get a better glimpse at the vigilante.

When she reached the top of the building, she ducked low and peered over the edge. Only two shapes were visible, the slumped over and defeated criminals.

But no hero.

Juvia felt her blood go icy. _Where is he? What if he finds me?_

Pressing her fingers over her nose to calm her thoughts, Juvia peeked over the edge again, just to be sure that he truly was gone.

Nobody.

At least, nobody conscious.

But Juvia had the sense to know that it was time to go home, time to head back to her sanctuary.

As she ran back, every memory of what she had witnessed ran through her mind like a reel of film.

_So…intriguing…_

She'd never heard of any vigilante justice in Gotham on the news before, so either this was a fairly new development, or this guy was good enough to stay on the down lo of things.

And both options terrified her.

If there was somebody new out there, somebody who decided to take the law into their own hands, what would they think of her? What would they think of the amateur cat burglar who stole from the rich and gave to her sister.

Last time Juvia checked, Robin Hood wasn't a blue haired female with a D-cup, and she knew for certain that a Robin Hood status wasn't going to save her from this...law breaker.

And if he truly had enough power to keep his fighting on the down lo, what would become of her? Would he be able to rid the city of her in a second without any judgment whatsoever.

_No, _Juvia thought, the blood draining out of her face in realization. _If I get caught, Levy will have no one._

This complicated things. Juvia certainly hadn't factored that into the equation when she made the split second decision to start stealing for a living.

"Well," Juvia said softly, leaping onto her apartment building from the neighboring one she had been running across. "I guess I just can't get caught, now can I?"

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	2. the underbelly

"Of course I heard, I've been there once you know, it was simply…breathtaking." Mira said with a reminiscent sigh.

Juvia leaned against the counter, her notepad full of orders forgotten as she interrogated her friend.

"But what was it like? Did they really have ice sculptures?" Juvia asked, running her finger along the worn silver binding of her notepad.

"_No. _There was only one." Mira said slyly, whisking the cake batter skillfully. Juvia smiled knowingly and handed her the notepad. "Ugh. Six more hours…"

"Tell me about it." Juvia mumbled, not bothering to mention that her shift had ended six minutes ago and she was on her way out.

"Alright, see you," Mira called, heading to the back kitchen to fulfill the orders Juvia had presented her with.

Juvia spared no time grabbing her purse and getting the hell out of…well, _hell_.

Because in the past month she had made _quite _the name for herself, and what was a name without someone to wield it?

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"Stupid, stupid, _stupid_!"

"Master Gray, I would not encourage you go out tonight."

"But _why_, you know these things are just an excuse for people to kiss my ass! And besides, I've got shit to do!" Gray argued, shaking the front page of a news paper angrily,

"The annual fundraiser is an extremely important gala for your reputation, wouldn't want people thinking you're a cold, shut off, introvert, now would we?" Makarov said with a well earned ironic chuckle.

"Why not? Why deceive them any further? Besides, I have a cat burglar to catch." Gray slammed the newspaper down, the headline reeling readers in to inform of a sneaky house robber who had gone unnoticed for some time now.

"This is far more important. If I catch you anywhere near that cave of yours, I'll sick Lyon on you!" Makarov threatened.

Gray shuddered. "That's playing dirty old man, I'll have my revenge!" Gray shouted before running away childishly towards his room.

Makarov shook his head. He really hadn't changed, still stubborn and determined to get his way.

He picked up the crumpled newspaper and sighed. No matter how many people Gray seemed to put behind bars, it was like more just kept popping up. He couldn't help but wonder if Gray's…pastime…was even beneficial for the city. But then again, he knew nothing that he could say to Gray would make a lick of a difference.

He could only hope that Gray would have the decency to show up tonight.

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Juvia hopped off of her apartment building, a certain cheerful air around her. Levy wouldn't get back for another hour or so, and even when she did get back she would delve herself in homework for the rest of the night.

She had the remainder of the day to do as she pleased.

Juvia wasn't nearly foolish enough to steal a ton, no, she merely took enough so that it wouldn't have been notice. Granted, that plan backfired, but she still had complete and utter confidence that she wouldn't get caught.

Once her feet both kissed the ground, she pondered where she would go next. She never robbed the same place twice, that was far too risky. But she was running low on volunteers.

"Madame,"

Juvia whirled around, her feet planted in a fighter's stance and her guard all the way up.

"No need to be afraid, Madame. My name is Zancrow, and my boss has taken an extreme interest in you," Zancrow purred, stepping out of the shadows and tilting his head so that the streetlight bathed his golden hair.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in contracts," Juvia said breezily, hiking her way down the street.

"Oh Madame, I do insist that you accompany me," suddenly, Zancrow was beside her, gripping her upper arm dangerously.

"And why may that be?" Juvia hissed, yanking her arm out of his grasp.

"My boss is a very powerful man. You will regret crossing him." He warned, his voice dropping a few octaves with each passing word.

Juvia weighed her choices. She didn't want to make enemies, but it really did come with the job. But this enemy seemed powerful, an enemy she didn't wish to make.

"Very well. But I expect to be back in no less than an hour." Juvia agreed.

"Excellent, follow me." Zancrow said with a sick smile, and with that, Juvia began to believe that she had just made a grave mistake.

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.

.

Zancow had led her on for so long, she was beginning to think that this was all a ruse.

"Don't be impatient my dear, we're almost there." He chided as if he had read her mind. Juvia said nothing, but still followed him down the sewers. Not a very classy place for a crime lord, but very discreet.

Juvia wondered to herself if this was the same 'boss' that she had heard about during her witnessing of two criminals getting their asses chopped off and handed back to them.

And something in the back of her mind told her that it most certainly was.

Zancrow finally stopped, and what Juvia saw astonished her.

An entire underground _community_. People walking around, people smoking…well, it was either one or the other, but there had to be at least eighty people there! It was…

"Inconceivable," Zancrow muttered, doing that creepy mind reading thing again.

"Can we speed this up?" Juvia asked, hoping she sounded more annoyed than panicky. It was a little intimidating to have an entire crime ridden community pitted against you.

"Of course, we've arrived." Zancrow lightly bowed and motioned for Juvia to enter the dark room…_alone._

And Juvia knew very well that bad things happened in the dark.

But nonetheless, she pushed opened the doors like she was something great, and with enough swagger to tell people in that dark room that they should probably bow.

"Ah, how excellent. I've been expecting you, Miss Lockser."

Juvia suppressed her gasp and tried to look bored. "Is there something you need?"

The man hummed, sitting up from his chair that was positioned in the center of the room with a halo of dim light encircling it.

"Actually, yes. I've noticed you. You probably think that nobody has, but I've been keeping an eye out." He said, his voice lilting playfully as he stood up and exited the ring of light.

Juvia quieted, waiting for him to continue.

"Naturally, you've never heard of me. Nobody has, but I'm always watching." He said, and Juvia suspected in the back of her mind to keep an eye out for that phrase, it would probably end up being his mantra.

"But to keep my community sustained, I need people on the outside. I would love for you, Miss Lockser, to become one of those people."

It was a heavy offer, one filled with no doubt trickery and deceit, but also with the promise of benefit and protection.

"And if I refuse?" Juvia tested, wanting to weigh her options generously.

"Well," he started, resurfacing into the light and smiling so that his sharp, crooked teeth showed his true intent. "Not only would that be a grave mistake, but I'd suspect it wouldn't turn out so well for Miss Levy, that's for sure."

_Oh god._

That was it. Barely a month and she was in too deep. What was she even thinking? How could she have been ready for a life of crime? She didn't even get to finish high school!

They were threatening Levy, she knew she had no choice. She had been so easily cornered, and for what? A scholarship fund so Levy could go to Harvard?

"What kind of work would I be doing, exactly?" Juvia asked, like she was still considering the offer. But he knew, he _knew _she was trapped. He knew she was trapped before she had even arrived and she was stupid enough to fall right into it.

"Nothing much, just a few things here and there, some words on the people up there…" He said vaguely, returning to his chair. "You want them to suffer, don't you? You want those affluent _snakes _to suffer where they stand, for being wealthy and watching the world burn around them while they drink cocktails and schnapps."

Juvia almost scoffed. Here he was, trying to draw her in with sympathy when he was clearly in a place with all the money he needed. Pathetic.

"I'm listening," she purred. All she needed was for him to believe her, sure, she'd do some dirty work, but nothing too flashy…hopefully.

"So, as a test, we would like you to do some work for us tonight. Don't worry, it's nothing grand, just dipping your toes in the water." He said.

Juvia nodded absently, a feeling of dread creeping down her spine.

"I need you to infiltrate _this _man." He slammed a picture on the table in front of her.

A lowly man, obviously short and round, filled the picture, his name brand tuxedo ostensible and his narrow nose sharp.

"And by infiltrate, you mean…?" Juvia asked, hoping that infiltrate did not mean what she thought it did.

"Oh no, my dear. Just follow him around, I need some intel on this man. He's been causing me a lot of trouble." He said promptly, lighting a cigarette and tossing the fizzy match onto the floor.

"I'll do it. On _one _condition." Juvia clarified, holding her pointer finger up high.

He looked amused. "And what may that be?"

"Don't _ever _threaten my sister again." It was a bold move, that she knew, but she didn't have much to loose, they already knew everything about her.

"Very well." He agreed, to Juvia's awe.

"Alright then."

"Excellent. We'll be in contact." He flashed her a card and sent her out the door.

"Oh, ah, yes, one more thing, tell anyone a word of this and you'll probably die." He said quickly before slamming the door shut in her face.

And that's how Juvia went from petty thief to a Gotham City mafia member.

.

.

.

He was everything the picture indited.

Short, finicky, obnoxious. Obsessed with his image. Ironically enough.

"I swear, if this gala does not have the same brandy as last year's, I'll have a word with that pretentious Fullbuster boy!"

_Oh._

This man was on his way to the annual gala at Fullbuster Enterprises, a fundraiser for the needy people in Gotham. A huge joke, of course, everybody knew that not one penny from that fundraiser went to the poor but to another dime under Gray Fullbuster's mattress.

Well, everybody except for _this _man, of course.

"Cindy! Grab my glasses for God's sake!" He shrieked.

"Coming sire," a maid echoed, looking about as empty as Mira on a Tuesday afternoon.

"You insolent girl, I can't believe I ever hired you. Get on with it! I need my driver ready!" He yelled, reminding Juvia of an angry penguin who couldn't quite turn around.

She had been perched at his window for some time now, bored oiut of her mind because this man had less going on in his life that Juvia could've ever imagined.

Except for the gala.

She's be lying if she said she'd never dreamed of going, like Mira said, it was luxorious in every way imaginable.

And that man _did _say to follow him around…

Juvia leapt off the window nimbly onto the fire escape.

She was going to need a dress.

.

.

.

"Ouch, ouch, _ouch. _I said _tie _it, not bloody cut off my circulation!" Gray choked as Makarov threaded his shimmery black tie to his shirt.

"Well maybe it'd be easier if you didn't squirm so much!" He grumbled, sinching it tight and releasing him.

Gray coughed exaggeratedly, loosening the tie unceremoniously.

"Stop complaining boy. Now, what've we learned?" He asked expectantly.

Gray sighed, rubbing the side of his head to refresh his aching memory.

"Uh…no complaining, no being unpleasant, no being myself, no pointing out abhorrent rich wankers, no…ah what was it…no _brooding_." Gray listed off sarcastically.

"More or less. Just make it through the night without being yourself, alright?" Makarov said flatly.

"Got it. Would you mind stabbing me before the night begins? You know, just to take extra precautions so that I don't accidently reveal that I'm a grade A asshole?"

"Shut up, boy." Makarov growled, though his tight smile showed his true feelings.

"Let's just get this over with." Gray grumbled before pushing open the grand hall doors with a plastic smile and getting his party started.

.

.

.

She decided that it would be too cliché to wear blue.

So she settled for black, long and sleek that came out and pooled around her ankles. Sleeveless too, a neck line that teasingly dipped low to her cleavage but didn't show too much to make her uncomfortable.

It wasn't hers. Well, it was hers _now, _but the old dowager who owned it previously was much too heavy to wield a weapon like this, she wouldn't be missing it.

Not to mention that it was most _definitely _a mistake to take heels as well.

How did people _wear _this kind of stuff _every single day_? Mira could wear eight inchers without a flinch, but Juvia was wobbling in simple three inchers.

She'd get the hang of it…hopefully…

She staggered in front of the towering estate, wondering if she really was looking forward to this after all.

They waved her in no questions asked, she really looked the part of a pretentious woman, hair fully twisted into a braided bun with a few strands of blue hair resting against her cheeks daintily.

It was time for her to play the role of the person she so despised, having it all without knowing it.

And who's to say she wouldn't pick up a few souvenirs on the way? She saw some pretty necklaces on the way in…

And so she excitedly traipsed in to fulfill her task, completely unaware of the pair of eyes that were watching her.

**sorry this is shitty af**

**I tried**

**oh and regarding the reviewer who mentioned George Clooney as batman**

**please do not talk to me about that garbage I will sit down and cry damn you George clooney**

**damn you**


	3. target apprehended

**wow. realize how long itd been since i updated this until i read it again. and i feel extra bad bc this chapter took me not even a full hour. hopefully updates will be a lot quicker from now on? *sweats bc im lying* pls no pitchforks**

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"Another glass of champagne, miss?" A waiter swooped over with a balancing act of intricate glasses filled with the bubbling liquid.

"Yes, please." Juvia accepted, she couldn't remember the last time she'd drank anything remotely fancy. Yes, taking care of Levy had occupied most of her fancy drink time over the years.

She swirled the champagne in her glass, keeping a tame eye on her target. He had spent the night bumbling around like a fool, complaining about the drink sizes and waiters and anything that came to his mind. With all the complaining he'd done, she didn't believe he'd once said something nice.

Juvia could think of plenty of things that were nice about this place, but she didn't exactly have time to make a bulleted list.

A swarm of women in tight cocktail dresses suddenly poured past her, all whispering and giggling in unison. It frightened her a bit that they were so in synch, almost as if they were just a bunch of rich clones with expensive hair dye and dress tastes.

She looked down at her own dress and realized she probably looked exactly like them. Curves flaring out at all angles and breasts practically making a grand entrance of their own. She wished she would've had the mind to steal a dress from a woman with similar cup size, but it was far too late now.

Tugging her dress upwards in an uncultured manner, she wobbled over to the food table to be closer to the target.

"-nestly Margaret, this event gets worse every single year. We see less and less of the Fullbuster boy, and even _less _of his so called 'fortune'."

The woman he was talking to, Margaret, evidently, laughed quite like a donkey. Juvia choked down her own laughter with her champagne.

_Maybe I'll steal some of those baby sandwiches for Levy_, Juvia thought, before shutting the idea down because she had nowhere to put them, in all her rush she had forgotten to bring a purse.

A tornado of voices surrounded the food table, and Juvia had trouble tuning in on just her target's. There was an especially loud woman towards the end of the table (who probably had one too many glasses of champagne) was complaining about how her husband never looks at her anymore, and her consoling friend, who was equally, if not more loud, drowned out all other voices seemingly in the entire ball room.

"-swear to almighty _Christ_, if _one more person _tells me I look exactly like my father, I'm going to _lose _it."

"Keep it down, Gray. You'll attract attention."

"I hope I _do_, you know, that one redhead has been following me around the whole night, I wouldn't be surprised if she knows more about me than I know about myself!"

"You're acting childish…no, _no, _don't have another drink-"

"To the _pit_ with it, Makarov, I need this."

Juvia trained her ears on the two unfamiliar voices, curious to where their conversation was going. The whole night, besides her target, she hadn't heard a single negative voice among the crowd.

Juvia turned to make sure the target hadn't left. Good, he was still distracted by the hors d'oeuvres.

"Your phone is going off."

"Ah, yes. I'm sure that's just the bloody _bank _being robbed, you see what I'm missing due to this…charade?"

"Quiet! Honestly boy, you're so _loud_…"

Juvia squished in between a pair of people wandering towards the food aimlessly to get closer to the voices, despite her conscious telling her to back off, she was inevitably curious as to whom these people were. Odds are she wouldn't recognize them, but maybe-

"Ooh," she breathed out, having tripped (cursed heels) into another person's body. How elegant.

"I'm so, so sorry!" she mumbled apologetically, these were the type of people who were to hold grudges, and the last thing she needed right now was a rich person's vendetta.

"It's alright." The person said, taking her hand and gently guiding her to her feet. How ironic, the very voice she was following she crashed into. Brilliant, really.

"I'm not used to these heels," she admitted, before covering her mouth unexpectedly. Christ, she was a horrible criminal if she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

The man looked at her quizzically. He had dark, onyx hair sweeping over his forehead like a tidal wave, it was gorgeous, and she found herself envying the color, as dark as the night. His eyes were similar, a dark, almost black colored brown. He wore a clean suit, looking sinfully handsome, yet uncomfortable at the same time.

He sent her shoes a look, then back at her once more. He was clearly unimpressed, her heels were like toddlers compared to what some of the women here sported.

"Uh…" _distract him, give him your name, _"I'm Ju-" _Not your real name, you idiot!_ "-lia. Julia." She finished awkwardly, lifting up her dress in a makeshift curtsy. Do people even do that anymore?

The shorter, elderly man that he had been talking to gave the younger man a knowing look. "I'll catch up with you later, Gray." He said before taking his leave.

And now, she was left with the attractive man, the conversation (if it could've even been called that) grained from the atmosphere.

The music suddenly became louder. Maybe she was just focusing on other things to keep her distracted, she didn't quite know.

"Uh…" Gray uttered, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "Do you want to, uh…do you want to dance?"

Shocked, Juvia's gaze flicked from her target and back to Gray. He was still eating sandwiches. And one dance couldn't hurt.

"I…I guess, although I'm afraid I might fall over with these shoes," she admitted. He smiled, just in the tiniest bit.

"I'll lead."

Juvia chewed the inside of her mouth nervously as his hand gripped her waist and his other hand took hers. It had been ages since she'd been flustered by a man before, perhaps even _high school _was the last time she'd been interested in someone. And that was just sad.

"So, _Julia_," he began skeptically, "what do you do for a living?"

And, _shit_. Not only was her doubting her name, but he was doubting her status as well! Damn it all to hell – hopefully he wasn't anybody of importance.

"I do contrary work for the Fullbuster Enterprises," she lied, hoping that she didn't sound like a cornered mouse.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? I haven't seen you around?"

Around? What in god's name did that mean?

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean." She admitted as he twirled her around. It was hard to focus on anything but him as she danced, he really was annoyingly handsome.

He was surprised once more. "You don't recognize me?"

_Shit. _Was she supposed to know who he was? His first name was Gray…Gray…Christian Gray? No, that was a book…

"I'm not very good with faces," she laughed lamely.

A corner of his mouth tugged into a smile. Whether it was a happy smile, or a ha-I've-caught-you-in-your-lie smile, she'd just have to wait and see.

"How long have you worked here?" He asked casually, hypnotizing eyes boring into her own menacingly. He was quite a character, this…Gray…

_Oh, it sounds so familiar…why can't I just remember who this guy is…_

"Not long, actually. I used to work at Hammer Tech, but I transferred here earlier this year." She lied smoothly. The trick is in the details.

"Hm," he mused, "Hammer tech, how was that?"

Juvia huffed quietly. "Er, not to change the subject, but…I haven't hear anything about you. Tell me a little bit about yourself, _Gray_." She requested impatiently.

A wry smile appeared on his sexy lip. "You should know all about me."

Was that…condescending? She scanned his face for malice. None detected. Was he being sarcastic?

"I…" she began, but then she remembered her target. In a frenzy, she scanned the dining area for him – but he was gone. _Damn it!_

"I have to go!" She yelled awkwardly, jumping away from Gray like he was made of lightning and hurrying towards the last place she'd seen him.

"Eh…?" She heard him mumble as she disentangled her body from his. He'd have to wait, she'd figure out who he was later…

Her obnoxious heels clacked every time she took a feverous step, she felt the urge to rip them off and chuck them at the nearest rich old widow.

"Wait…!" She looked aback to see Gray following her. Drat. She'd have to loose him soon…

She turned sharply, invading a throng of people and squeezing through a lot of warm bodies. Her eyes flickered, and then she saw her target.

Her eyes widened in surprise and she squeezed through the lat column of people and followed him subtly.

She looked behind her to see how far away Gray was. She would've surely lost him in that bundle of people.

…Yet there he was, only a few feet behind her, scanning the crowd for her blue hair.

_How the hell did he do that_? Juvia wondered, ducking quickly and cursing his height advantage. He'd definitely find her soon if she didn't find an escape…

Her eyes followed her target keenly…he looked…distressed…

Juvia narrowed her eyes in confusion and felt an arm clamp down on her wrist. He yelped in surprise and almost fell backwards, but she was caught by a pair of arms and hefted up quickly.

"You don't work here," Gray accused, keeping a firm grip on her wrist. She tugged back experimentally, but no movement came. He was _wicked _strong…she'd need to think of something fast…

"That's rude," she commented playfully, but let her eyes wander back to her target. He was pacing back in forth in front of a pair of large wooden doors, probably off limits.

"Tell me who you are, and why you're here." He demanded, other hand flying to her other wrist. _Shit _he was strong.

"I…" her brain scrambled for a lie. "You…you're right. You caught me. I was told this was a no press event, but…"

Gray dropped her wrist in disappointment. "Shit."

'Yeah, I know." Juvia agreed, right as she caught her target leaving the ballroom out of the corner of her eye, and into the restricted area. "I'll leave now."

"Wait," he said back, but she was already gone.

Juvia threaded through everyone in front of her, praying she could catch up to the target without Gray noticing that she was breaking party protocol, especially since he thought she was the press now.

Without a word of notice, Juvia slipped behind the door, _no admittance _plastered onto the handle. She'd done enough rule-breaking, why even hesitate now?

The hallway in the manor was dark, and haunting. Like a house infested with ghosts and spirits of upset rich people.

Paintings hung on the wall and were dimly lit by the moon and stars outside through the massive windows.

Now just _where_ was her target…

She spotted him up, about thirty feet ahead, hobbling while mumbling to himself aimlessly, until he reached a door to the left, where he opened it, and disappeared inside.

_Curious_, Juvia thought. Perhaps it was a restroom?

She snuck up to the door and looked for a restroom sign. She found none, and slowly, she creaked the door handle open just a hairsbreadth, so she could see what was going on inside.

"-Mr. Johnson, we do sincerely hope you understand why we're doing this." A voice said. Juvia didn't recognize it, meaning that there was something else in there with her target, Mr. Johnson.

"No, you can't do this to me! I've done too much for you…you _need _me!" Her target declared, voice even more crackly and annoying than usual. He sounded a bit distressed, too.

"Not anyore, we've found…someone else, to finish your job for you." The mysterious voice echoed smugly. "Goodbye, Mr. Johnson. We do hope you understand that no ne can know of this."

_…__Goodbye?_

Juvia peeked into the room and almost gasped as a tall, lean man flicked out a knife and sunk it into her target's chest slowly, almost as if…he _enjoyed it_.

Mr. Johnson let out a pitiful wail as he sunk to the ground. Juvia backed away quietly, knowing full well that if someone knew what she'd just witnessed, she'd end up just like her target, dead, on the floor.

Her only choice was to run – she could report this all to her boss at a later time, all she knew was that he was _dead_, and if she wanted to stay alive, she'd have to high-tail it out of there like she saw nothing at all.

No one noticed when she snuck back into the gala, she was as faceless as a sphere, nimbling past guests expertly until she reached the exit.

With a calm cool asp of fresh air, Juvia walked away from the party, fear still etched into her eyes.

Although she herself had committed many heinous crimes as of ow, she wouldn't forget the gasp of pain and the groan of death resonating from her target. No matter what happened, she knew she could never, _ever_, kill another human being, no matter how sour or evil they were. She couldn't. She wouldn't allow herself, or forgive herself.

"Goodnight, and thank you for coming to Mr. Gray Fullbuster's annual fundraiser." A butler bid her.

She froze, despite her terrorized mind from what she had just witnessed, _that _was definitely something she didn't want to hear.

"Gray…" she heard herself echo.

Oh no.

_Oh no._

If she wasn't walking fast before, she certainly was now, her heels were in her hands and she was _running_.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no," she whispered to herself, a sickening mantra reminding her that she had just lied to the face of Gray Fullbuster himself, and he knew it, too.

Hopefully he wouldn't go hunting for any 'Julias'…that wouldn't turn out well for either of them.

Juvia snuck into her apartment, shedding the dress faster than anything she could remember and changing into a nice tank top and sweatpants. There would be no stealing tonight, just nice, reassuring _sleep_.

Juvia crept into their room. She was sound asleep.

_Good_. Juvia thought, remembering all those late nights with her valedictorian speech and her University starter project. Levy deserved some rest.

"Goodnight Lev," she whispered, before crawling into her own bed and letting herself drift off to sleep.

She could worry about telling her mob boss about her dead target tomorrow.

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**heheh. sorryyyy. thank you for all your lovely reviews and support!**

_**i think all of us can agree George Clooney was satan in disguise in that movie. fricken bat credit card.)**_

**review for cookies**


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